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Shelby GT500 Eleanor

The Shelby GT500 well known as the main car of 2000 “Gone in 60 Seconds” movie, which starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie as well. However, not all that easy as it may seem at first sight.

1967 Shelby GT500 Eleanor. Photo: Gregory Moine

In order to understand what a beast Shelby GT500 Eleanor, it is necessary to understand the simple fact that neither the Shelby GT500E – and it was under this name very often appears as a car in the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds” – initially is not the brainchild of Shelby Autos. That car that we see in the movies, created at the factory Cinema Vehicle Services specifically for the film. More precisely these cars were 12 – and in fact it was the Ford Mustang fastback 1967. Although the screen we see a car similar to the classic Shelby, and so the machine from “Gone in 60 Seconds” is perceived by us as Shelby. However, this is a little bit wrong.

In fact, Eleanor is a registered trademark owned by co-producer the movie “Gone in Sixty Seconds” Denice Shakarian Halicki, but not Shelby. However, the popularity of the film has caused the emergence of such vehicles on the light – they built small engineering companies.

Some of them, such as the scandal bankrupt firm Texas Unique Performance was trying to make these cars and even had a license for Shelby Automobiles. They tried to make copies of cine Eleanor and other independent producers and these cars are usually called as Shelby GT500E.

1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Eleanor. Photo: Juanyo

In 2008, Denise Halicki has taken measures to protect the brand and won a lawsuit against the Carroll Shelby licensed replica Eleanor as a continuation of the original car Shelby GT500. It can be assumed that all remakes Shelby GT500 with index E released until 2008. Also in the same year, were presented the first official replica Eleanor, who licensed Halicki Films the company released Classic Recreations. Instead «Shelby GT500E» these cars have badges “Gone in 60 Seconds”.

To date, Classic Recreations is the sole licensee of Halicki Films. However, the production of replicas of Eleanor was discontinued in October 2009, after the Classic Recreations entered into a licensing agreement with Carroll Shelby to produce a new Shelby GT500CR continuation of his original car.

Shelby GT500CR Venom. Photo: German Medeot

As you can see in the photo, some of the design elements are different from the Shelby GT500CR of the canonical image of Eleanor. All machines are built by hand, using the chassis of classic Ford Mustang. Timing of construction vehicle can take up to 6 months, and it is positioned as an investment purchase.